Aiden's Return
by ElodieAuvray
Summary: Three years after she supposedly died, Aiden returns, in desperate need of help. Stunned, Dany risks losing both his wife and children in a desperate attempt to help his old friend.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. If I did, I would have a bigger TV and every single version of Guitar Hero ever invented.

Chapter 1

Danny Messer's day started out pretty normal. He got up, showered, and kissed his wife and children as he left for work. He worked hard all day and managed to get a confession out of a serial killer. It was only as he walked home that things started to seem strange.

As he came out of the precinct, Danny could have sworn he saw a dark-haired figure watching him. As soon as he turned his head, however, the figure disappeared and Danny was left staring at a trash can. Must be the fumes in the lab, he thought to himself. God knows how many times Gerrard has complained about them.

He stopped to buy a hot dog, as he hadn't had lunch that day. About to take his first bite, he heard someone call his name out, almost wistfully. Again, nobody was there.

When Danny arrived home, he was pulled into a hug by Lindsay. "I missed you, cowboy," she whispered, laying her head on his chest. "The kids are in bed, so I thought we could have the night to ourselves."

"Sounds good."

They went over to the couch, switched on the TV and sat down, cuddled into each other. "Someone called for you today," said Lindsay. "It was a woman, Brooklyn accent, didn't give me her name. Anything you want to tell me?"

"What exactly are you accusing me of?" asked Danny, his voice rising. "You know I would never do anything to hurt you or the kids."

Lindsay looked away. The phone suddenly rang.

"Messer."

"Danny?"

Danny's mouth fell open in shock; he recognised that voice…

"Danny, it's Aiden. I need your help."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Danny held the phone a few inches away from his ear, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish's.

"Danny?" Aiden's voice brought Danny back to earth with a start. He brought the phone back up to his ear with shaking hands.

"Aiden? It's really you, isn't it?"

"No Danny, it's my mother. Yes, of course it's me!"

Danny pinched himself hard on the arm. "Ouch!" he gasped, as a small red mark appeared. He definitely wasn't dreaming.

"Aiden, you're supposed to be…well, dead. I mean, we found your body in a burned-out car and arrested DJ Pratt for your murder," said Danny.

"Actually, it's Pratt I'm calling about," revealed Aiden. "Can you meet me tomorrow morning, say, at Starbucks? You know, the one down the street from the lab. I'll be there at nine." She hung up. Danny hit redial, but nothing happened.

--

Danny closed the door behind him, and breathed in the warm, coffee-scented air. At this time in the morning, Starbucks was usually full of people trying to waken themselves up before a long day of work began. He scanned the small, cramped café a good few times, searching for Aiden. He was about to leave when a voice behind him said, "Mornin' Messer."

Danny spun around and saw Aiden standing behind him. She looked the same as ever, although a little more pale and thin. Her long, dark curls were pulled back in a loose ponytail and her eyes were hidden by a large pair of Aviator-style sunglasses.

"Aiden!"

Both threw their arms around each other, and there were tears shed by both, although neither thought any less of the other. When they finally broke apart, Aiden's face broke into a wide smile. They sat down at a small table in the corner together. Danny ordered a black coffee and Aiden asked for a Strawberries and Cream Frappucino.

"So, what happened?" Danny asked eagerly. "I mean, why did you fake your own death?"

"Well, when I started following Pratt, I knew it was only a matter of time before his lawyer got onto me, and sure enough, he did. I was already in enough trouble for planting the evidence, so I knew I had to disappear," explained Aiden. "I knew a guy who was able to recreate the way my skull would look, and he attached to the skeleton of a Jane Doe he dug up. I know, it's extreme," she said, seeing Danny's face. "But I had to. So I went to stay at my parent's house. You have no idea how miserable it is, not being allowed out. I used to sit at my window and watch the neighborhood kids playing. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I heard that DJ Pratt made bail."

Aiden grimaced; Danny remembered that DJ Pratt had attacked and raped her friend Regina. "I couldn't believe it," continued Aiden. "He was a monster who preyed on innocent young girls, and they let him out. I went after him yesterday and things got a little out of hand."

Danny looked at Aiden, confused. She held out her hands. They were covered in dried blood.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Danny stared in horror at Aiden's bloodstained hands.

"Please, Danny, I need your help. If anybody finds out about this, I'll be locked up for good." she looked at Danny, her eyes pleading. "Please."

--

Danny pushed the front door open and was greeted by the Olivia and Isabella throwing themselves upon him. "How's my little princesses then?" he asked, kissing each one on the head.

"Daddy, I fell in the playground today!" Isabella said proudly, peeling the pink Band-aid back a little.

"Wow!" said Danny. "Hey, where's your brother?"

"In the kitchen," said Olivia, rolling her eyes. "He's helping Mommy bake."

In the kitchen, Ruben was standing on a stool beside Lindsay, his face and hands covered in flour. "Aargh, a ghost!" yelled Danny, pretending to protect Olivia and Isabella, who were squealing like mad. Ruben laughed as the girls' screams turned to laughter, due to the fact Danny was now tickling them.

"I'm helping Mommy," Ruben said importantly. "She needs a man to look after her while she bakes."

Danny put his arms around Lindsay's waist. "Well, have no fear, Ruben. Daddy is here!" He planted a big kiss on Lindsay's cheek. The triplets pulled faces and moaned, "Yuck!"

"Listen, kids, Daddy needs to talk to Mommy, so can you maybe go and play something just now?" Danny asked gently.

"Star Wars!" yelled Ruben.

"I'll be Princess Leia!" announced Olivia, much to Isabella's annoyance.

"You were Princess Leia last time though, it's my turn."

"You can be Jabba the Hut then," giggled Olivia, as Isabella hit her on the head with a fluffy cushion.

"What was it you wanted to tell me, Danny?" asked Lindsay. Like Ruben, she was covered in flour.

Danny explained to her about Aiden, and how she had gone after Pratt. Lindsay's eyes grew wider and wider in amazement.

"You said you couldn't help, right?" demanded Lindsay. There was fear in her big, brown eyes. Danny hesitated.

"You said yes?! Danny, I will not have the kids growing up only seeing their father through the bars in a state prison! I'm warning you right now, if you go along with her, then you will never see your children again," threatened Lindsay. Danny's face remained expressionless.

"Oh my God," breathed Lindsay. "I never thought I'd see the day when my husband walked out on his own kids just so that he could have a fling with some woman."

Danny looked at Lindsay in anger. "This isn't about having a fling," he snapped. "It's about helping a friend. And if you're so clingy and desperate that you can't see that, then that's your problem. He stormed out of the kitchen. As the front door slammed shut, Lindsay burst into choking sobs.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ruben, Olivia and Isabella came running through to the kitchen, their eyes wide with fear. Although young, they were smart enough to realise that their father had just left them.

"It's okay, Mommy," whispered Olivia, putting her arms around Lindsay's legs. "We'll look after you."

Lindsay smiled through her tears. She suddenly had a crazy idea. "Listen kids, I want you to go to your rooms and put all your clothes into bags. I'll be through in a minute to help you, 'kay?" They all nodded and ran out of the kitchen, Ruben still in his Darth Vader mask and cape and Olivia in her Cinderella dress.

Her eyes still blurry from the tears, Lindsay opened the medical cupboard and clasped her fingers around the first tub of pills they found. She swallowed a handful and took a large gulp of water. Already she felt better.

--

10 minutes later, all four of them wear dressed in most of their clothes so that they could fit more in their bags (Lindsay had had to stop a sulky Ruben from trying to bring his bed along, which was shaped like an X-wing fighter). In Lindsay's bag, she carried all the money she had saved up with Danny, the money that they were going to buy a bigger house with. Fat chance of that now.

After a few minutes driving around the city, Lindsay spotted a shabby-looking hotel. She pulled up outside it and turned to face her children, who were seated in the back. Swan Lake Barbie was in the middle of attacking Action Man.

"Listen kids, we're going to play a little game while we're here," she said, trying to force a smile. "We all have to pretend that we're different people. I'm going to be…" she thought for a minute, then said, "Amy Smith." A nice, simple name that wasn't too conspicuous. "What about you?"

"Leia!"

"Cinderella!"

Lindsay rolled her eyes; both girls loved anything to do with fairies, princesses, anything that involved long, flowing dresses and them being damsels in distress.

"How about Erika and Anneliese?" she suggested. Both girls loved the new Barbie movie, and the names weren't that unusual. The girls cheered. "Ruben? What would you like to be called.?"

"I want Daddy," mumbled Ruben. Lindsay sighed. So do I, she thought miserably. So do I. Pushing that thought to the back of her head, she said, "What about Luke? That's a nice name, isn't it?"

Ruben shrugged his shoulders.

--

After checking in and receiving a battered key card, Lindsay and the triplets made their way up the six flights of stairs. Once inside the suite, the triplets flopped down onto their beds. Lindsay went into the small en suite and opened her bag. Inside were all the pills she could find in the house. She took a handful and felt the pain dull slightly. Splashing water on her face, she went back out to the now sleeping triplets.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry it's taking me so long to update, but my computer crashed - nothing to do with me… Anyways, here's the next chapter.

Danny shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and bowed his head against the sudden rain. He had just turned the corner when he suddenly realised what he'd just done. He'd left his wife and children for an old friend he hadn't spoken to in years, who was now a murderer. Without a doubt, it was the stupidest thing he'd ever done, including the time he'd made up an obstacle course in the kitchen, which resulted in Olivia being taken to the emergency room after attempting to vault the table.

He hurried up the stairs to his apartment, two steps at a time. The door was locked. He fumbled in his pocket, and pulled out the spare key.

"Lindsay?" called Danny, as he cautiously pushed the door open. "Olivia? Ruben? Isabella?"

His voice echoed around the apartment, like a breath of wind around a deserted cave. It was completely empty.

Right, thought Danny. If that's the way she wants it, fine by me.

He stormed out of the abandoned apartment, and down the stairway, into the rainy street below. He pulled out his cellphone and dialled the familiar number, the number he'd memorised, in case a miracle happened.

"Aiden? It's Danny. Listen, about what you said…"

--

Mac knocked on the door of Stella's office. From inside, a voice called out, "Come in!"

Stella sat at her desk, typing up a report, her brow furrowed in concentration. "What can I do?" she asked, not taking her eyes of the computer screen.

"Have you seen Lindsay today?" asked Mac. "She never showed up for her shift."

"Have you tried calling Danny?"

Mac nodded. "He didn't answer. I've got a bad feeling about this…"

--

Lindsay looked over her shoulder to make sure none of the children were looking, and swallowed another handful of painkillers. Taking a large gulp of water, she leaned on the sink and exhaled. For now at least, the pain was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Danny stood underneath the street lamp, bathed in light. He checked his watch impatiently.

"Honestly, Messer, I'm not even a minute late."

Danny spun around and saw Aiden standing there, smiling a little. Her hands were buried deep in the pockets of her trench coat. She started walking again. Danny had to run to keep up with the long strides she took.

They eventually stopped outside a rough-looking apartment building. Danny followed Aiden up the stairs and to a door on the top floor.

"You might want to breath through your mouth," suggested Aiden, as she opened the door slightly. Danny ignored this advice; he had been in the morgue plenty of times before, and the smell had never affected him there.

As the door was opened fully, Danny threw his hands over his nose and mouth. The smell coming from the living room was like nothing he'd ever smelt before - like a mixture of sulphur, animal faeces and every other disgusting smell mixed together.

In the living room, a mangled body lay on the floor, in a pool of half-congealed blood. His hair was matted, and several parts of skin were no longer visible underneath the hordes of flies that had swarmed in through the open window.

"The remains of DJ Pratt," came Aiden's muffled voice. "Come on, we need to move him."

Danny took Pratt's feet, while Aiden held him under the shoulders. Together, they moved him out and into the dark hallway.

"Now what?" asked Danny.

"There's a dumpster outside," explained Aiden. "If we can get him out there, he'll be gone by morning."

They dragged the body out into the street, and tossed him into the dumpster. "We still have to get rid of all the evidence," pointed out Aiden, and turned to go back into the building.

As he followed Aiden back up the stairs, Danny suddenly wondered what had happened to Lindsay and the kids. Wherever they are, I hope they're okay, he thought miserably to himself, unaware that they were far from okay…


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Ruben, Olivia and Isabella sullenly chewed their sandwiches, thinking longingly of the homemade pizza their father made them, with cheese that melted in your mouth and spicy beef. Lindsay didn't touch her sandwich.

"Listen, I need to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back," she said, and got up. Not one of the triplets paid any attention to her.

Once in the bathroom, Lindsay groped in her bag for painkillers. As she gulped them down, the familiar feeling of relief swept over her - then it all changed. Suddenly, the bathroom began to swim, and everything went dark. Lindsay cried out, but was silenced as she hit the floor.

Ruben heard his mother screaming and rushed into the bathroom, his sisters behind him. Olivia burst into tears.

"We have to call Daddy!" said Isabella. "He'll know what to do."

--

Danny watched as Aiden got a filthy old rag and began to clean up the pool of blood.

"Aren't you going to help?" said Aiden. He was about to go and get a towel when his cellphone vibrated. Pulling it out of his pocket, he was shocked to see the caller ID read "Montana". He couldn't answer it fast enough.

"Lindsay?"

"Daddy!"

"Isabella? Where's Mommy?" He prayed silently that nothing had happened, that they were all okay…

"Something's happened to her! We heard her screaming and now she's asleep on the floor."

Danny's heart sank; this was all his fault, if anything were to happen…

"Listen, Isabella, can you tell me where you are?"

"A hotel, it's on the same street as the pizza place you took us to last summer."

"Isabella, I need you to call 911. Tell them where you are and that you need an ambulance. Can you be a big girl and do that for me?"

Danny could have sworn he heard Isabella sob. "Yes Daddy."

"I love you, honey."

Danny reluctantly hung up and turned to Aiden.

"What was all that about?" she asked, still mopping up blood.

He clenched his fists. "I'm sorry Aiden. I can't help you anymore. I'm turning you in."

Aiden looked at Danny as though he was crazy. "But - but you said you'd help me! Was this just some trap, so that I would trust you? Were you planning to turn me in all along?" Her eyes were filled with a hatred that Danny had never seen before.

"I was stupid, Aiden," he said. "But because of me, my wife is now almost dead and my kids need me. I'm sorry."

He turned and walked out, feeling like a huge weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. Once in the street, he hailed a cab, hoping that Isabella had been able to save her mother.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Danny sprinted up the stairs, ignoring the receptionist shouting after him. He checked every floor, until he came to the top floor, where Ruben was standing outside the room, waiting for his dad.

"Ruben!"

Danny lifted Ruben up and carried him into the room. Olivia and Isabella were sitting on the floor beside Lindsay.

"Daddy!"

Both girls squealed and jumped onto their father.

"Did you call the ambulance?"

"Yes Daddy! I was a big girl!" said Isabella proudly. Danny sat them all down on the floor and checked Lindsay over. He noticed something sticking out of her bag. Pulling it out, he was shocked to see that it was a tub of painkillers. Judging from the rattling coming from Lindsay's bag, they weren't the only painkillers she'd brought.

"Ruben, can you do me a big favor?" Danny asked gently. "Can you go downstairs and wait for the ambulance?"

Ruben nodded and left the room.

Danny held Lindsay in his arms, gently rocking her. "I'm sorry, he whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

--

Danny rocked backwards and forwards on his chair, as doctors and nurses bustled past. Olivia and Isabella had fallen asleep in each other's arms, while Ruben was nodding off as he played with the building blocks.

"Mr Messer?"

A surgeon stood in front of him, a clipboard in his hand.

"Mr Messer, I'm sorry. We tried but it was too late." He glanced sympathetically at the triplets, before turning back to Danny.

"Again, I'm sor-"

There was a loud beeping from behind them. A young, blonde-haired surgeon came rushing out, panting slightly.

"Dr Stephens, you won't believe it! It's incredible, she's alive!"

Stephens rushed back into the operating theatre, closely followed by Danny. Lindsay was covered in all sorts of tubes and hooked up to machines, but sure enough, she was breathing. Danny shouted out with joy, pulling the triplets up into his arms, who had been woken up by all the commotion.

As Lindsay's bed was wheeled out of the operating theatre, Danny looked up.

"If there's anyone up there…thank you. Thank you for giving me a second chance. I promise, I won't let you down."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Honestly, Danny, I can walk you know."

Lindsay sighed as Danny insisted on helping her to Mac's office, where everyone was waiting to welcome her back. It had been two months since Aiden's arrest, and everything was now back to normal. Well, as normal as things would ever be in the Messer family.

As they walked through the door, there was an explosion of streamers, and everyone screamed, "Welcome back!"

Lindsay blushed as she was helped into her chair. Beside Stella, the triplets were eyeing up the food table, which was groaning under the weight of cakes and chocolate. Lindsay nodded at them, and soon they were piling their plates with food.

--

Aiden Burn sat by herself in the dark cell. Someday, she would have revenge.


End file.
